‘UP Suppressing Opposition Campaign Efforts’

Not letting UP have their way without a fight, the ANC led by Alexander Cummings (left), has complained the ruling party to the NEC, headed by Cllr. Jerome Korkoya (center), that the party led by V. P. Joseph Boakai (left) is not living up to elections regulations and the Farmington Declaration.

-ANC Protests to National Elections Commission (NEC), International Observers and Missions

One of the major opposition parties in the upcoming elections, the Alternative National Congress (ANC), has officially lodged a complaint to the National Elections Commission (NEC) and all international observers and missions, accusing the ruling Unity Party (UP) of “suppressing opposition political parties of freely campaigning for the October 10 elections.”

The ANC also accused the UP of “exerting undue influence on the electoral process to deny other parties the right to freely associate and to get their messages out.”

ANC vice standard bearer Jeremiah Sulunteh and its national chairman Orishall Gould, in their complaint, accused the UP-led government of denying opposition political parties the right to use public facilities across the 15 counties. Such facilities include the largest and newly renovated Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex, located in Paynesville City, which the UP is intending to use on Saturday, October 7 – the same day the ANC is expected to close its campaign rally at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS), in downtown Monrovia.

The ANC leaders told newsmen yesterday, October 3, that a month ago, the ANC and its standard bearer, Mr. Alexander B. Cummings, in accordance with NEC regulations, decided to hold its closing campaign rally at the ATS on Saturday, October 7.

Unfortunately, the ANC said the UP has announced a rally slated for the same day, but according to NEC electoral rules, it is prohibited for two parties to hold rallies in the same town on the same day.

Five members of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) were present at the news conference yesterday.

“The ANC believes that this effort will create tension among partisans, which the UP is seeking to exploit for its own purpose. This comes after the UP had manipulated state media resources, denying access to the state-sponsored radio and TV station – ELBC, to other parties, and access to public spaces such as city halls across the country,” Amb. Sulunteh said.

“We are hereby protesting the suppression of legitimate political expression in Liberia, and call on all parties to honor the Code of Conduct, the Farmington River Declaration, and according to IPPC Agreement, Article 4.7, and the NEC guidelines.”

Meanwhile, ANC Chairman Gould said the parallel rally with the UP would encourage violence or has the inclination to violence, because partisans of both parties would either “overlap, crisscross or intersect each other,” which might spark violence.

He, however, said in spite of the ruling party’s suppression, the ANC would still attract thousands of supporters to the ATS for their “Rally for Change” concluding campaign program on Saturday, October 7, and is confident of victory on Tuesday, October 10. “If the UP has done well over the last 12 years, l don’t think they should still be struggling to campaign,” Gould added.

Meanwhile, the National Elections Commission (NEC) is expected to rule on the matter before October 5.

12 COMMENTS

No violence is permitted. The decision of the silent majority will capture election law breakers and protect the Liberian Nation’s property to uphold the law. Ask the appropriate authority to use Government property and there should be no conflict or go in peace. 34% cannot beat or pin down 57% neither can 9%. Follow the decision of the election process. Wait and see who wins the Presidency. Your freedom of choice most matters.
Gone in silence. Let the Liberian people know.

It’s very unfortunate that the ANC, in a falsely attempt and desperate move, is crying foul. Firstly, ATS is located in the City of Monrovia, while SKD Sports Complex is located in the City of Paynesville, which are two different cities, which is accordingly, acceptable by Elections Laws; as such, the governing Unity Party has done nothing wrong. In fact, even if the UP intends to use its HQ, which is very much closer to the City of Monrovia, to host its closing campaign, she would still be in line with both the Elections Law, and all other agreements that she signed to uphold peace and unity in these elections.

Even if the opposition bloc doesn’t like the fact that the governing Unity Party is involved in this highly contentious election, the truth must be told that the Unity Party playing by the rules, having had the experience of how the opposition bloc would cry false cry of suppression.

Secondly, the issue of ANC leaders accusation that the UP has leverage over the use of public facilities in the country is very false; otherwise, almost all the cities access the country are charging for service facilities, especially city halls and the likes, and the UP is equally paying for these facilities. The unfortunate things about the opposition political parties is, they are concurrently applying for these facilities, which were either booked by member opposition parties, or the UP, but for its convenience of crocodile cry, the ANC is blowing false alarms. Ironically, the issue of the national broadcasters, the LBS has been balancely expressed by the station itself that all business related airings are paid for by the UP, in challenge, receipts have equally been provided.

It’s very cleared that the ANC is vigorously playing the card of “Animals Kingdom” in which she’s claiming to secure the sport of the 3rd place, which has been known to be for a particular political party over the years, this false alarm against the governing Unity Party will not hold waters – you can’t make up with the game play of the JNB-JEN ticket.

For Heaven’s sake, this a capital city and the venues being mentioned are world apart.There is no way there will he conflict as these events don’t required marching in the streets.They are campaign closure rallies wherein people are convey via vehicles.ANC,like its opposition counterparts is smelling defeat and wants to scapegoat the UP during these last minutes.

Another wolf! Wolf! needless wailing? Either that, or the ANC partisans like their standard bearer must be predominantly foreigners and don’t know Liberia well. Like the writer above pointed out, “Monrovia” and “Painesville” are 2 separate and distinct cities, with their own governance structures. Why would the ANC not realize such simple difference in lieu of the referenced conflict the NEC or joint election guidelines intended to forestall? Besides, the ATS is some 25-30 miles away from the SKD! So this ANC cry must be a smoke screen. It wants that coveted last day rally as an advantage over the other parties, especially UP in rallying or rocking its Monrovia base. And if UP was stopping others from using public facilities around the country as claimed here by the ANC, then one wonders why those other parties are not complaining? Or is the ANC the spokes-party now for the others? Perhaps reason why the accusation is simply generalized with specifics? This must be a symptom of how our Supreme Court really see trouble following this election. The line of protestors will not be easy!

Why is the Unity Party wasting her useful time on an “insignificant digit”, like ANC? This a clever mechanism implored by our detractors, to interrupt our well-organized campaign process. However, we are resolved to defeat these numerous “Political Dwarfs” on 10th of October, and nothing, I mean absolutely nothing can stop us from achieving our goal. I am hereby appealing to my partisans, to please disregard these trivialities, and proceed as planned. Long live The Ruling Unity Party, Long The People of Liberia! God bless Liberia!

Look who is complaining. ..shut the”f”up. Before campaign started, the ALP presidential candidate brought these issues for discussion. These very people who are complaining sat there with their mouths closed. It is way too late to stop the gangsters behaviors. Let’s go on october 10, bags of will be $9 , I vote for you, native woman borned soldiers and conqua woman borned rogues , I vote for you, you killed my ma & pa, I will vote for you, Ellen kept the peace and everyone got more screwed up, let’s vote for them again. My fellow sound minded Liberians, this country is doomed. The decency, understanding and our sense of reasoning are all lacking. My heart goes out to those Liberians who have life other parts of the world for Liberia thinking to bring sanity but it is what it is. Hopelessness!

Jeremiah Solunteh should be ashamed of himself to be complaining that closing rallies far apart cannot be convened the same day. ATS is in Central Monrovia and SKD is in the outskirt of Pennsville outside Monrovia and what the cried of wolf at the eleven hour?

Everyone is crying and accusing the UP including CDC. Why? Boakai is winning and therefore, everyone is complaining about him. I like what Boakai did in Solunteh District….he (Solunteh) made no impact in the District, but VP Boakai just broke ground to build a multi-purpose town hall for the people of Suacoco in Bong County. Both Dr. G and Henrique Togbah were present during the ground breaking ceremony. This is a kicked in the stomach.

Cummings is an adventurer and hopefully he’ll know that giving gifts to demand a reward with the presidency of Liberia is not what Liberians will yield to. Running from abroad after being absence for so many years when Liberians were dying in displaced and refugee camps internally and outside of the country while you flaunt around with your wealth; building a vacation home in Nigeria to be your new home only to come home when others have labored to bring peace to the country. You’re not a true patriot, but an opportunist at best. You seek opportunities at the expense of others thinking that Boakai was going to be a weak candidate in these elections. You and your VSB who was given the opportunity in the government with three distinguished ministerial positions and a diplomatic post to the most powerful country on Earth. He made not impact and only joined the Cummings camp for a bigger pay check….they’ll lose.

I think people believe the more oldaged political slogans, the more chances they, may have to win these elections. We, all over the years, had this delightful and powerful rthymes played in our heads by political leaders; Jah, jah, jah..Gbartee oo gbartee, sayqoi sayqoi saykoi..for nothing slogans without proper platforms for the people. When you have masses, in elections like these with less understanding of challenges for the state and future of the people themselves, leaders take advantage. Now for God sake, what UP, has not told the people of Liberia,or demonstrated during these years in power to now begin denying oppositions free access to state media and halls. Can’t we all realize the deviant and potential violence being initiated by Up, in this manner? I don’t wish for such and don’t believe anyone Liberian, hopefully. Ha ha…Neither will popularity contest solve the problem for the day. Let the others have their time and rallies, especially when it’s accepted and falls within the NEC’S Guidelines and all declarations, thereby signatured by all parties. No time for show up and cleaver political slogans to the people and funny political mottos which can be a rallying cry to one’s cause. It’s only a great catch up phrase or trademark that can tip the balance in favor of a particular candidate. Throughout Liberia, political history, leaders and their supporters have created political catchphrases such as these. And let’s face it, political slogans that rhyme can stay in your head for years. Wake up Liberians! Nope to these slogans; All power to the people, which people? Belleh run politicains? Don’t stop, keep going on! Going on where? To create confusion and stimulate violence? Vote for us, for Growth! What did you do with the past revenues? No surrender! Against who, the poor? My fellow country men and women, open your eyes well. well ooo

As a matter of fact, this is truth DEMOCRACY. The rallies are in two separate and distant-apart places. It’s time for everyone to show their “TRUE COLOR”– Who’s the real ANC and Who’s the real UP Partisans. That’s a good determining factor for the ELECTION. We shall know,who’s supporting WHO; for real. If Alex Cummings believes he will be the[REAL] winner, he should have no fear. It seems Alex Cummings knows that he is losing. He just doesn’t want to accept the fact. Join a “WINNER”, J. Nyumah Boakai; “FOR A BETTER LIBERIA”

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